


Memories Can Hurt or Heal

by fangirlingtodeath513



Category: Supernatural
Genre: (not too much angst though), Alternate Universe - No Monsters, Charlie Bradbury (mentioned) - Freeform, Fluff and Angst, Human Castiel, M/M, post-college
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-05-07 08:12:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14666964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlingtodeath513/pseuds/fangirlingtodeath513
Summary: Dean moved into this house months ago. There's one box on the top shelf of his closet that remains unpacked. A rainy Saturday morning seems like the perfect time to reminisce, doesn't it?





	Memories Can Hurt or Heal

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a writing prompt [here](https://writing-prompt-s.tumblr.com/post/173241054221/you-moved-into-your-new-place-months-ago-but). This was a joy to write, I hope you guys like it!
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> [rebloggable link on tumblr here](https://fangirlingtodeath513.tumblr.com/post/173918734354/memories-can-hurt-or-heal-rated-teen-and-up-16k)

Today is definitely one of those classic fall days. It’s dark and rainy and _just_ this side of cold. Of course it’s a Saturday, so Dean doesn’t even have work to distract him. His mind inevitably wanders to Cas, and then to the box of memories he still hasn’t unpacked that’s currently sitting on the top shelf of his closet.

 

He’d moved into this three-bedroom house _months_ ago. Everything had been unpacked within a week of moving in, but the one box that sat on the top shelf of his closet has been left untouched since he’d put it there three days after moving in. Because, truth be told, some of the memories in there are pretty bittersweet.

 

Days like today, though… they’re the days he gets the itch under his skin to drag the box down from the closet and reminisce. He knows there’s a ton of pictures of them, and a few things from various dates and milestones in their relationship. Most of the time he’s able to brush the thought away easily, but there’s just something about today. He waffles with the thought for a while; he makes himself some breakfast, catches up on the news on his phone, and takes a long, hot bath.

 

He’s staring into his closet trying to decide what to wear when his eyes wander to the box on his top shelf. He ends up pulling on one of his softer Henleys and a pair of worn sweatpants before pulling the box down and setting it on the hardwood floor. He takes a seat in front of it, smiling softly to himself as he pulls the lid off and sets it aside.

 

Right on top is the picture of him and Cas from graduation. Dean’s mother had taken it just after the ceremony, as evidenced by the fact that their tassels are on the left. It’s one of his favorite pictures of them. The day itself had been insanely stressful, but having Cas right there with him, and both of their families there to celebrate their graduation had been amazing. He brushes a thumb over the picture before picking it up and setting it on the lid gently. Next on the pile are their tickets from the Kaleo concert they’d taken a road trip to shortly after graduation. They’d gone back to Kansas with their families and driven all the way to LA for the concert. The road trip itself was probably more fun than the concert, if he’s being honest with himself, and he can’t wait to find the polaroids from the car trip.

 

With the tickets set aside, he digs his cap and gown out to get them out of the way. He sees the corner of one of the car trip polaroids on the very bottom on the box, but he forces himself to go through the rest and end on some of the best memories.

 

The assortment of Broadway playbills is next. Cas had gone through a phase in high school where he was _super_ into Broadway shows and Dean, being the excellent best friend he was, had accompanied him to thirteen over the course of their four years in high school. He smiles to himself as he flips through them, remembering the shows fondly before setting the playbills aside.

 

Next up is the stack of photos spanning high school and college. It’s not a huge amount, since most of the photos are stored on his laptop, but it’s pretty sizable. The top of the stack are pictures from their college commencement ball. Not that he’s ever had a problem admitting it, but _damn_ does Cas look good in a tux. He flips through the pictures slowly, letting his memories of the night be tugged to the surface. He’s still in contact with most of his college friends, but it’s been a while since they’ve gotten together… He makes a mental note to give Charlie a call later before flipping to the next picture. This one’s him and Cas at the homecoming football game their senior year. He’s got blue and gold paint on his cheeks, and Cas has one of the school jerseys on. In the picture, Dean’s forehead is against Cas’s cheek, and both of them are sporting matching grins. He stares at the picture for a moment before setting it on the other side of him, away from the rest of the photos with the intent to put it somewhere visible.

 

The next few pictures are ones taken throughout college. They’re mostly him and Cas, with a few of their mutual friends scattered throughout. He’s always got this look when he’s staring at Cas in pictures. Charlie called it his “heart eyes stare” all throughout college, Castiel had gotten a _kick_ out of that.

 

The next set of pictures are ones from their senior prom in high school. They’ve got ties matching their eye color, green for Dean and blue for Cas, and matching boutonnieres, a small red tulip for each of them.

 

Neither of their parents had been surprised when he’d asked Cas to prom. His mother said she’d been waiting a long time to see who’d make the first move, and Cas’s father had agreed. Even Dean’s dad, who he was _sure_ would be angry about his son being attracted to men was okay with it. He and Cas, though? Neither of them had any idea that the other had similar feelings until Dean had made the first move a few months before their high school graduation. Though, in hindsight, the signs were all there.

 

The next pictures are ones from high school. Cas in the stands cheering during Dean’s soccer games, and Dean in the stands cheering during Cas’s baseball games. A few of them at various school events, and even a few of the time Dean and Cas had manned the kissing booth at the cheerleading fundraiser. He shakes his head at the memory, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He reaches the last picture, one of them on their first day of high school. He shakes his head at the oversized sweater Cas has on, smiling fondly. He sets the final picture aside, pulling a photo album from the box and setting it aside to look at later. He grabs an assortment of tickets, ones from all their high school games, setting them aside before grabbing the stack of polariods from the bottom of the box. These are probably his fondest memories of his and Cas’s relationship, if he’s being honest with himself. At the same time, they’re also the worst.

 

Cas had gotten the tickets for them as a graduation present. The concert was a week and a half after graduation, so they’d agreed to take a long road trip through the western US, stopping at a few different landmarks before ending up at their hotel in LA a couple days before the concert. The car trip had been great, the concert had been incredible, but that night at the hotel? Probably one of the worst nights of his life. He flips through the polariods slowly, sighing heavily. Cas had gotten a job in New York City, and he’d chosen to tell Dean when they got back to their hotel at midnight. Dean had already secured a job in Lebanon, the same place he’d interned with the summer before senior year. Castiel had left the following week, and Dean had been _fuming_. They’d nearly had a screaming match in the middle of the airport just before Cas caught his plane.

 

The sound of footsteps behind him tugs him out of the spiral of bad memories. “You’re back from your run early.” he says softly, smiling and grabbing the photo album he’d set aside.

 

There’s a low, gravelly chuckle behind him. “I am. Reminiscing, are you?”

 

He hums and nods, turning to glance at the man behind him. “Yep. It’s the only box we haven’t unpacked.”

 

Cas smiles and steps closer, motioning for Dean to move over. Dean wrinkles his nose but complies, shifting over and resting the photo album on both their laps once Cas sits. Castiel cocks an eyebrow at him, smiling. “Our wedding album?”

 

Dean smiles, bumping his shoulder against his husband’s and flipping through the pages. Castiel shifts after a few pages, his head dropping to rest on Dean’s shoulder.

 

“I’m still mad at you for not telling me earlier.” Dean murmurs, pressing a kiss to the top of Cas’s head. Castiel chuckles, resting his hand on Dean’s thigh. The silver band on his left hand sparkles in the early morning sunlight, and Dean can’t help but be ridiculously proud that the man sitting next to him is his husband. He closes the photo album, setting it aside and wrapping an arm around Cas’s waist. “I’m glad we got through it. I hated fighting with you like that.”

 

Castiel hums, pressing a chaste kiss to Dean’s lips. “I did as well, though you were incredibly hot when you were mad like that.”

 

Cas has the audacity to smirk at him, and Dean finds himself shaking his head with a grin on his face. “Yeah, well, you’re hot all the time.”

 

Castiel chuckles, a soft sound that warms Dean from the inside. “Well, since I’m back early, why don’t we both get a little exercise in and then grab a shower?”

 

Cas’s eyes flick to the bed and barely a second passes before Dean’s on his feet, tugging Castiel to the bed.

 

They may have had their ups and downs, but Dean’s glad for every single one of them.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr [here(:](https://fangirlingtodeath513.tumblr.com/)
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> **Please don’t post my works anywhere without my express written permission.**


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